Summary: Leprosy, like sin, need to be cured. Both can only be cured by the touch of the Master.

Intro: Biblical leprosy was one of the many scourges that the Israelites believed God had inflicted upon mankind in retribution for sins committed. Bear a mark of leprosy often meant a life of alienation because lepers were forced to live meager existences on the outskirts of civilization. In the Bible leprosy was a blanket term for skin ailments as well as the mildewing of fabric and home walls. In any case leprosy represented a social affliction and expected the inflicted to repent and live outside the community until dead or healed.

Leprosy like aids today was a terrifying disease because there was no known cure. In Jesus’ day the word for leprosy was used for a variety of similar symptoms. If a person contracted the contagious disease the priest would declare him unclean and banished him or her to the outskirts of the village, or in a leper colony.

A Leper would:

1. Have to go about declaring himself unclean.

2. Would go about a social outcasts

3. Wander about with no human touch.

5. Rely on the kindness and Compassion of others for food and water.

In this passage Jesus is passing through having preached a great sermon or series of sermons. The leper wishes Jesus to heal him, “If you are willing” he says. Jesus reached out and touched him, even though his skin we covered with the dreadful disease.

Sin is also an incurable disease, and we all have it. Like leprosy, sin makes us:

1. Unclean

2. Outcasts spiritually and if we die this way our eternity will be spent in the outer darkness.